God's overwhelming power often reveals itself through the awe-inspiring forces of nature. A massive cosmic storm, complete with roaring thunder, brilliant lightning, and a shaking earth, serves as a vivid picture of divine intervention in human history. Specifically, these powerful natural elements capture the sheer panic and chaos God unleashed upon the Egyptian camp during the splitting of the Red Sea.
When picturing the rolling thunder of this storm, commentators offer two main perspectives, viewing it either as a broad natural phenomenon or a highly specific historical event. The natural approach suggests the thunder originates from the sky or the air itself, which is pictured as a constantly rotating and rolling sphere where storms are born [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מאירי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some focus specifically on the circular, rolling motion of the dark storm clouds [תורה תמימה]. In contrast, the historical approach connects the rolling sound directly to the wheels of Pharaoh's chariots. According to this view, the deafening thunder specifically struck the chariot wheels as the Egyptians chased the Israelites into the sea, intentionally stunning and disorienting the pursuing army [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, מאירי].
Accompanying the thunder were enormous strikes of lightning that illuminated the entire world [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This brilliant flash is also seen as a subtle reference to the pillar of fire that faithfully lit the night sky for the Israelites as they crossed the sea [רד״ק]. The sequence of these events is deeply intentional. God designed the natural world so that lightning always precedes thunder, acting as a bright warning. This ensures that the sudden, deafening crack of thunder does not catch people entirely off guard and cause excessive terror [אלשיך].
Yet, even with the visual warning of the lightning, the sheer force of the thunder was so immense that it caused the very ground to shake [אלשיך, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This violent trembling was not merely a geological event. It also reflects the profound anxiety, shock, and total confusion that gripped the Egyptians as they stood face to face with God's ultimate power [רד״ק, מאירי].